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There's an exciting thing happening over here in Scotland. On September 18th everyone aged 16 and over living in Scotland will be invited to vote in a referendum to decide whether or not Scotland should become independent from the UK.
As you can imagine, this is a pretty big deal! My initial response was YES YES YES!!! This is mainly due to the UK government not reflecting the political climate in Scotland and I would like a government that takes into account the opinion of the millions of people who live here. It's that simple. Other people have different views and I respect that. The debate over here is heating up nicely however the 'no' campaign seems to be a touch defensive and not presenting their arguments very well. I met a 14 year old boy from Texas the other day. We talked about a lot of stuff and when the subject of independence came up he said 'we've been independent for a long time now and I would highly recommend it'. After almost keeling over from shock at having met a politicized 14 year old, I got to thinking. Maybe I should speak to more people who know what this is like to get a more full picture. So I realise it happened a very long time ago in the States, and I know the issues over there are very different from here and certainly were all those years ago, but I would really appreciate your opinion, my American friends, and what I would like to ask is this. Are there any negatives to becoming independent? Would they be a reason to NOT have become independent? Even as I write, my questions sound ridiculous. I think I know the answer already. I'd still like to hear it though. :-) Thanks everyone. xx |
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Ever since I saw Braveheart in the mid-90's, I have wondered about Scotland and independence from the UK.
My youngest brother married a Brit and her conservative family was very much against Scotland's independence. I knew it was an off-limits discussion topic. Even though you asked us for our opinion, I would really like to hear your perspective on why there are still folks in your country that want to vote no for independence. Thank you.
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I would think primarily financial concerns would apply.
For instance: Gold backs up our monetary system; what if anything is in Scotland to back up your money, or is it based upon resources kept in England? |
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*Anya* most of my friends, family and work colleagues are going to vote 'yes' so mostly we hold the same views. Of people I've spoken to who are going to vote 'no' the main issue seems to be fear; fear of change, fear of the unknown, fear of taking a risk. Also, 'no' voters seem to be non-Scottish people who live here and older people which is just my observation and not necessarily how it is everywhere. There seem to be no strong arguments for the union that I can find and surely there must be some!
We live next door to Ireland who have really struggled financially with being independent from the UK. Scottish people know this but we don't seem to be concerned, the question is something bigger. Corkey, thanks for the link and helping to inform people. There is loads of stuff online about what's happening over here, it's really interesting. Grainne, thanks for that info. The question for the referendum is 'should Scotland be an independent country?' There were some options for various degrees of devolution but this is the question decided upon. Commonwealth membership will not be automatic so I guess we'd need to wait and see. Thanks for sharing your thoughts everyone, much appreciated! |
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The little I know of Scottish history: 300 years after Braveheart, James VI came down to take the empty English throne. A century after that, the two countries were united. Sometime, Northern Ireland was added to form "Great Britain". Please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's generally what happened (I think).
My paternal grandmother was born in Campbeltown and was very proud of her Scottish (not British and def. not English) heritage! American History 101: There were many colonists who remained loyal to the British and didn't want full independence but more autonomy. Britain offered economic security and profit; independence would mean starting from scratch. Same with forming a government and constitution. Many colonists came over for religious reasons and didn't necessarily want to form a brand-new country. Many felt that we shared the same culture and were one people. The independence cause began when Britain wanted to tax the colonies for their wars and business ventures, and the patriots wanted to keep that money for their own. Britain also annoyingly appointed the governors of the colonies, a task the patriots wished to do for themselves. The colonists also felt they should have some say in Parliament, which didn't happen. Many of the patriots were reluctant to go to war, and it was really the intervention of France that resulted in independence. Thirty years later, a "mini-war" came out partly from meddling over the border from British Canada. My family tree is chock full of these "Loyalists" who beat it for Canada after the Revolutionary War. I sometimes wonder if the Revolution hadn't happened, if we would today be under a Canada or Australia-like system. I'm not sure how those countries "relate" to England or how they are different from N. Ireland or Scotland, but they have bigger ties to England than we do; recognizing the Queen and all that. Is it possible for Scotland not to be totally independent but to become a commonwealth such as Canada? Or is it all or nothing?
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